Jain Digest 2000 07 Vol 16 No 03

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 13

REGIONAL NEWS (continued)
fortable - nothing unusual as we have learned to maintain Samata or equanimity. One of our members Rupaben Mehta did 16 upvas, Priti Mehta did 11 upvas. We had other six athais. Overall we had lots of tapasyas. Lots of children also were involved in tapasya this year. JSH contact is our current president Bhupesh Sheth at 281261-4030. or Parimal Desai at 281-8593661 Perry Desai jacobs.com
Phoenix, AZ
Jain Center of Greater Phoenix hosted Attamanandji (Dr. Soneji) during July. Many members participated during Bhav Pooja and daily swadhyay. During August, as
many as 50 Jain members from Phoenix area participated in Northern CA Pratishtha Mohotsav. Organization of the event was excellent. The Derasar is marvelous. Rajendrabhai Kamdar, a wellknown Jain scholar, visited Phoenix during Paryushan Parva. Paryushan was celebrated from August 26-Sep.02 followed by Daslaxana Parva from Sep. 02-12. Many Jain families participated in lectures and in Pratikraman. The Swapna vidhi was celebrated on August 27th. During Paryushan Parva, several individuals did different kinds of "Tapascharyas," the most notewothy being 30 Upvas by Prem Gandhi and 45 ekasana by Jainy Savla. There were two Athais and other various upvas and ekasanas. We are proud to announce that 5 Pathshala children in the age group 11 to 14 years completed JAINA Education Committee's Level-3 curriculum at the Jain Center. For other details, visit www.azindia.com > Jain Center Of Greater Phoenix web page. Contact for JCGP is Bhakti Gosalia at (623) 561-2148, email: jain phoenix@hotmail.com.
DALLAS, TX
Jain Society of North Texas had many dignitaries in summer starting with Dr. Bharill in July who covered chapter 7 of the Moksha Marg Prakashak by Pandit Todarmalji. Sunandaben Vohra also came in July and covered several chapters from "Mangalmay Yog." Atma with Samyak Gyan discriminates properly between Bhav or spiritual aspects and Pudgal or material aspects of Yog. Bhattarak Shri Devendra Kirtiji came in August and gave discourses on Daslaxana (10 types of Uttam or best Yati Dharma), on Namokaar and Uvassag Haram mantras and on Shravak's Sadachar or proper day-to-day conduct by a lay person. Paryushan Parva celebration began on August 26th with daily Pratikraman and Tapasya for eight days and with a continuation of Daslaxana Parva until September 13th with Pujas and Swadhyay sessions. Tulsa, OK Swapna ceremony was held on Sunday, August 27th with usual Ghee bolis and presentation of symbolic swapna pieces. Samvatsari Pratikraman was done twice (at 2:30 and at 6:00) on Sep. 2nd. Pratikraman in English (for our youth) was conducted on Sunday, Besides 9 upvas by Bhupendra Shah there were 8 Athais and various other Tapasya. Swamivatsalya meeting and lunch is scheduled on Sep. 24.Several members are going to visit Tulsa Jain Sangh on Sep 16-17 to meet with and assist Jain members there in observance of a Jain tradition called Chaitya Paripati.JSNT contact is our president Kirit Daftary at 254-776-4209 (netrat@att.net).
Very learned Scholar Sunandaben Vohra and 2 of the Samanjis visited Tulsa during July and August. Their daily discourses enhanced members' religious and spiritual knowledge as evidenced by the progress made by the members. During Paryushan, besides Rita Sheth's 11 upvas there were 3 Athais (Niru Shah, Grishma Ajmera and Harsha Mehta) and 10 continuous Ekasana. The Mahavir Jayanti was celebrated on Sunday, 08/27/00 with a potluck lunch. The Tulsa Jain Sangh has crossed a major mile
stone ne by signing a construction contract on 09/04/00 for its New Jain Center. The Derasar area with Ghabhara and prayer hall
will be around 1,000 sq.ft. Social hall, 3 Jain study class rooms, and a library will be about 4,000 sq.ft. in total. Total projected cost of the entire project is approx. $500,000. (Sangh consists of only about 20 families and about half the funds are on hand with the other half to be obtained by interest free loans mostly from the Sangh members).
The Tulsa Jain Sangh had a Chaitya Paripati visit by bus from a sister Sangh, The Jain Society of North Texas (Dallas area) on 09/ 16-17. On 16th afternoon there were some social/religious discussions such as topics for Pathshala, how to coordinate dignitary visits and how to keep the next generation within the Jain community matrimonially. It was agreed to expand regional communications and to have more frequent gettogethers. After dinner there was Bhavna led by Prem Shah and Dilip Shah for an enjoyable and spiritually uplifting evening. On Sunday a Panch Kalyanak Pooja was performed where many people from both Sanghs (and some from Oklahoma City) participated. After a delicious swami vatsalya lunch, the Dallas group departed in the late afternoon. It was felt by both groups, that this kind of meetings are not only beneficial but necessary to promote Jainism and strengthen on a regional basis. For any information about our Derasar, Sangh or the dignitaries, please contact TJS president Mukesh J. Shah at (918) 2992873 or E-mail at: mukesh@galaxy-1.com.
WEST
Chandrakant Parekh, Regional Editor
Los Angeles, CA
Nearly 800 youths from the United States, Canada and United Kingdom participated America Convention in Los Angeles from in the Fourth Biennial Young Jains of June 30 to July 3. Following a theme of "4 Days' Journey Into The Self", Please see complete report on YJA pages.
JAIN DIGEST FALL 2000/ 11